In the wintertime, when you fly into Salt Lake City, Utah, it will surprise you how many people are traveling to Salt Lake City with their downhill skis. Downhill skiing is a major sport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Salt Lake City’s significant snowfall is from mid-November to early March. January is the month that consistently has the highest inches of snowfall each year. Salt Lake City will get considerably less snowfall than some of its surrounding mountain areas, such as Park City.
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Snow In Salt Lake City
The snow usually starts in to fall in the Salt Lake City area in late October to mid-November; the winters in Salt Lake City are cold and snowy.
Salt Lake City is built in a valley surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. More snow will fall in the mountain area than in the valley in which Salt Lake City is situated.
In July, I hiked some Salt Lake City mountain areas and found patches of snow way up on the mountain tops; there are some mountain areas where the snow never fully melts.
Salt Lake City has snowfall for about 3.8 months each year, lasting from November 15 to March 10. The month with the most snow is usually January, with an average snowfall of 3.0 inches. During most of the winter months, Salt Lake City has snowfall.
In the last few years, with global warming and the Great Lake Salt running dry, there has been less snow in the mountains and valleys of Salt Lake City. The reason is that the Great Salt Lake helped to give some lake effect snow to the mountain and valley, but now, with the lake running dry, there is less snow than there used to be.
Average Snow In Park City, Utah Vs. Salt Lake City, Utah
Park City, a major ski resort outside Salt Lake City, has more snow than Salt Lake City. Park City is in the mountains, so the elevation is much higher than the city of Salt Lake City.
Average snowfall at Salt Lake City Airport and Park City by Month
| Month | Salt Lake Airport | Park City |
| January | 3.0” | 6.02” |
| February | 2.1” | 6.81” |
| March | 0.7” | 5.83” |
| April | 0.3” | 4.29” |
| May | 0” | 1.38” |
| June | 0” | 0.43” |
| July | 0” | 0” |
| August | 0” | 0” |
| September | 0” | 0.28” |
| October | 0.1” | 1.93” |
| November | 0.9” | 3.5” |
| December | 2.9” | 5.24” |
As you can see from the chart above, Park City, Utah, has more snow than Salt Lake City, Utah. You can drive between Salt Lake City and Park City in about 35 to 40 minutes. Park City and Salt Lake City are not that far apart.
The elevation of Salt Lake City is 4,226 feet, but Park City, Utah, is at 7,000 feet. The difference in the elevation makes a considerable difference in the amount of snow each place will receive over the year.
As you can see from the chart, Salt Lake has no snowfall in May, June, July, August, and September, with very little snow recorded in April and October. The primary snow season for Salt Lake City is from mid-November to mid-March.
On the other hand Park City only has no snowfall recorded in July and August, with snow falling sometime during most of the year. The significant months for snowfall is November to April. Because of snowfall, Park City is also a popular ski resort.
Even though the elevation of Utah’s ski resorts is higher than Salt Lake City, and they have more snow, some years, even the snow resorts may need to artificially make snow to have enough snow for the ski season.
The Average Temperature in Salt Lake City
When looking at the snow in Salt Lake City, you must also look at the average temperature. Sometimes it will snow, but it may not stay on the ground for a long time.
If you plan to travel to Salt Lake City during the winter months, it is best to have a four-wheel drive. Even if the valley of Salt Lake City does not have a lot of snow, there can be snow in the mountain areas.
The Average temperature in Salt Lake City, Utah by Month
| Month | Average Temperature High/Low ˚F |
| January | 40˚ / 27˚F |
| February | 45˚ / 31˚F |
| March | 55˚ / 38˚F |
| April | 63˚/ 44˚F |
| May | 72˚/. 52˚F |
| June | 83˚ / 61˚F |
| July | 90˚ / 63˚F |
| August | 89˚ / 67˚F |
| September | 79˚ / 58˚F |
| October | 66˚ / 47˚F |
| November | 51˚ / 36˚F |
| December | 39˚ / 27˚F |
As you can see from the above chart, even though it’s snowing in Salt Lake City, it will warm up to be above freezing so that the snow will melt or even become like a slush.
When I attended university in Provo, Utah, I remembered that it would snow, and then it would warm up, and then be slush on the sidewalks. By the time we came out of the classes in the afternoon, the slush would almost be gone a lot of times because the temperature had warmed up.
The average temperatures also show that even though Salt Lake City is a significant area for skiing, it is relatively temperate and not extremely cold.
Salt Lake City is an ideal city to live in if you like winter or being around ski slopes. Not only because it has snow but because it is a city with a temperate climate compared to other parts of the United States or the world.
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Related Questions
Is Salt Lake City Religious?
About 73% of the Salt Lake City population identifies with a religion. Salt Lake City is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only about 50% of the population of Salt Lake City are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
You can learn more by reading Is Salt Lake City Religious? by clicking here.
Salt Lake City, Utah And Homelessness
Salt Lake City and the state of Utah have been quite successful and have seen a decrease in their homeless population over the last few years. There are many reasons for this; one is that the state and city have worked together to find more affordable housing and beds for the homelessness issue.
To learn more, you can read our blog on Salt Lake City Utah And Homelessness by clicking here.
